Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W36/00—Hand-off or reselection arrangements
  • H04W36/0005—Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
  • H04W36/0055—Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
  • H04W36/0066—Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W84/00—Network topologies
  • H04W84/02—Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
  • H04W84/10—Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
  • H04W84/16—WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to wireless communication systems and more particularly to handing over a wireless communication from a first communication system to a second communication system.
• a typical wireless local area network (such as, for example, an 802.11-family compatible local area network) will use radio frequency resources, and have an infrastructure, that varies considerably from a typical wireless wide area network (such as, for example, a cellular telephony system).
• Multi-mode radios have been proposed that are capable of compatibly operating in two (or more) such divergent systems. Such intrinsic compatibility, however, does not necessarily lead to a satisfactory ability to effect a relatively transparent handover of a given wireless communication between such divergent systems.
• FIG. 1 comprises a block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention
• FIG. 2 comprises a block diagram of a multi-mode wireless mobile station as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention
• FIG. 3 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
• FIG. 4 comprises a signal flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
• a preferred process upon - 3 - detecting at least one handover condition during a wireless communication being supported by a first wireless communication system, a preferred process automatically uses a second wireless communication system to establish a communication link to a private branch exchange that is associated with that first wireless communication system. This preferred process then uses that communication link to automatically transmit to that private branch exchange a pre-established message to thereby effect triggering a handover of the wireless communication from the first wireless communication system to the second wireless communication system. The wireless communication thereafter continues using that second wireless communication system instead of the first wireless communication system.
• the pre-established message can comprise a specific signal or can be embodied more indirectly.
• the establishment of the communication link itself can comprise the pre-established message. Additional signals may be applied in either case as desired to permit, for example, identification of a corresponding mobile user (or users), authentication, authorization, and the like.
• a wireless communication between a wireless mobile user and a landline party that is presently supported by a wireless local area network can be transferred to and continued on a wide area network (such as a cellular telephony system).
• a wireless local area network such as an 802.11-family compatible network
• a wide area network such as a cellular telephony system
• a multi-mode wireless mobile station 11 can compatibly transceive radio frequency communications 12 with a wireless local area network 13 and also compatibly transceive radio frequency communications 16 with a cellular system 17.
• the wireless local area network 13 can comprise, for example, an 802.11(a), 802.11(b), or 802.11(g) network as are well understood in the art and the cellular system 17 can comprise, for example, an analog system, a time division multiplexed system, a code division multiplexed system, or the like.
• both the wireless local area network 13 and the cellular system 17 further operably couple to a public switched telephone system 15.
• the multi-mode wireless mobile station 11 can communicate with, for example, a landline party through the public switched telephone system 15 via either the cellular system 17 or the wireless local area network 13 in accord with well-understood prior art technique.
• a private branch exchange (PBX) 14 as is associated with (and often comprises a part of) an enterprise-based wireless local area network 13 serves to provide a facilitating interface as between the multi-mode wireless mobile station 11 and the public switched telephone system 15, again in accord with well understood prior art technique and methodology.
• PBX private branch exchange
• such a multi-mode wireless mobile station 11 as is presently communicating with a landline party using a wireless local area network communication resource 12 will be able to transparently transfer that communication to a cellular system communication resource 16. This, in turn, will permit such a platform to begin a communication within range of the wireless local area network 13 and to seamlessly continue that communication when moving out of range of that wireless local area network 13 during that communication.
• the multi-mode wireless mobile station 11 can be configured and architected in various ways to implement the teachings set forth herein. Again, for purposes of illustration and without comprising an exhaustive delineation of all possible useful platforms in this regard, a specific multi-mode wireless mobile station platform suitable for these purposes will now be described with reference to FIG. 2.
• This multi-mode wireless mobile station 11 will preferably comprise a wireless communication system handover condition detector 21.
• a detector 21 will typically operably couple to a first wireless communication system transceiver 22 and will serve to monitor and detect when one or more conditions exist that serve as indicia of a potential or actual need to handout a present wireless communication being supported by a first wireless communication system communication resource 12 to a second wireless communication system.
• Many such conditions and/or telltale indicators of such conditions are known in the art and include but are not limited to fading rates, bit error rates, signal to noise ratios and measures, and the like. It may also be anticipated that other indicators in this regard may be identified and developed in the future.
• the handover condition detector 21 serves to detect when a present communication should be handed out from the wireless local area network to a wide area network cellular system.
• the handover condition detector 21 operably couples to a handover facilitator 23 that also operably couples to a memory 24.
• This memory 24 preferably has a message stored therein comprising a handover trigger along with an address that corresponds to the private branch exchange that is associated with the first wireless communication system.
• the handover trigger message can comprise, for example, an in-band message (such as a multi-frequency or dual-tone multi-frequency encoded message).
• This message can also comprise, for example, an identification (such as a personal identification number) as corresponds to the multi-mode wireless mobile station 11, an authentication and/or authorization code as corresponds to the multi-mode wireless mobile station, the private branch exchange, the first wireless communication system, a specific instruction or response, and so forth, or such other content may be desired and/or appropriate in a given setting.
• the handover facilitator 23 in response to detection of a handover condition by the handover condition detector 21, can use the private branch exchange address and the handover trigger message from the memory 24 to cause a second wireless communication system transceiver 25 (such as, in the present illustrative example, a cellular telephone transceiver) to address the private branch exchange and present the handover trigger message.
• a second wireless communication system transceiver 25 such as, in the present illustrative example, a cellular telephone transceiver
• a multi-mode wireless mobile station 11 will typically include other elements and/or functionality to serve other desired purposes. Such additional elements and functionality are not shown here in order to provide clarity with respect to that which is described.
• these various elements including the handover condition detector 21 and the handover facilitator 23, can be configured as discrete components (as suggested by the illustration) or in common with a shared platform. For example, many wireless communication platforms are partially or fully programmable. In such a case the programmable portion of the platform can be readily programmed to accord with these teachings.
• the memory 24 can be discrete from or integral to one or more of the above-described components.
• this process 30 monitors for the presence of one or more predetermined handover conditions. Upon detecting 31 such a handover condition, this process 30 provides for automatic use of a second wireless communication system (such as a wide area network) to establish a communication link to a private branch exchange that is associated with the first wireless communication system.
• a second wireless communication system such as a wide area network
• this process 30 can cause the automatic dialing of a cellular telephone transceiver portion of a corresponding multi-mode wireless mobile station. More particularly, the mobile station can call a wide area telecommunications service number that correlates to the private branch exchange such as, but not limited to, a specific toll free number (for example, 1 800 555-1234).
• this step utilizes an address for the private branch exchange that relates uniquely to that private branch exchange. More particularly, in a most preferred embodiment, the private branch exchange utilizes that incoming wide area telecommunications service number only to facilitate handover tasks.
• the process 30 then uses that communication link to automatically transmit 33 a pre-established message to the private branch exchange to trigger a handover of the present wireless communication from the first wireless communication system to the second wireless communication system.
• This "message" can be embodied in a variety of different ways.
• the message can comprise a specific instruction, operational code (or codes), or other signals that are understood by the private branch exchange to signal a need to presently effect a handover of a presently supported wireless communication from the private branch exchange's network to another network.
• Such an explicit message can of course be conveyed in a variety of ways.
• Digital signaling can of course be used if modem capabilities are present at both the mobile station and the private branch exchange. It would also be possible, and possibly preferred, to encode this message using in-band dual-tone multi- frequency signaling as is well understood in the art.
• this transmission also includes some identification that corresponds to the user (and/or the mobile station itself, depending upon the identifier deployment scheme utilized in a given system).
• This identification can be used by the private branch exchange to identify the particular wireless communication that is to be handed over.
• this identifier can comprise a specific in-band portion of the transmission.
• this identifier can comprise a data header (for example, when caller-ID service will suffice to provide the private branch exchange with sufficient information to suitably identify the communication to be transferred).
• this transmission 33 can also include other content such as, but not limited to, an authorization code that serves to further authorize or empower the private branch exchange to effect the requested handover, an authentication code to permit further identification of the mobile station (or its user) (as may be required by the first wireless communication system, the second wireless communication system, or both), a specific target time for the handover to occur, billing or other accounting information, presence update information, and the like.
• an authorization code that serves to further authorize or empower the private branch exchange to effect the requested handover
• an authentication code to permit further identification of the mobile station (or its user) (as may be required by the first wireless communication system, the second wireless communication system, or both)
• a specific target time for the handover to occur billing or other accounting information, presence update information, and the like.
• the address used to contact the private branch exchange can be dedicated to exclusive use for these purposes. Accordingly, a mobile station would only dial this number when seeking to initiate the handover process.
• the message conveyed via this communication link can be relatively brief and may, if desired, essentially comprise only an identifier for the mobile station itself.
• the private branch exchange can be configured to simply recognize the call itself as the pre-established handover trigger and to automatically respond to such an incoming call with the handover process.
• the handover process once initiated, will automatically proceed to conclusion.
• this process 30 can optionally make a determination 34, subsequent to initiating the handover process but prior to the handover itself, as to whether there has been mitigation of the earlier detected handover condition. For example, if signal strength comprised the monitored parameter, and signal strength for a given communication had dropped below a predetermined threshold to thereby trigger the above-described sequence of events, the mobile station could determine whether that signal strength parameter had returned to an acceptable level prior to the handover process being completed. Upon determining 34 that conditions had improved, this process 30 could essentially terminate the handover process. This termination could comprise, for example, a disconnection 35 of the communication link to the private branch exchange. By another approach, the mobile station could transmit a specific handover termination message to the private branch exchange via the communication link to facilitate termination of the handover process.
• this process 30 can effect transmission 36 of a predetermined handover confirmation message to the private branch exchange (again using the communication link).
• a predetermined handover confirmation message can be useful when the private branch exchange has been configured to prepare a handover but to not effect completion of the handover absent receipt of a specific confirmation message from the mobile station.
• This approach can be particularly useful when employed in conjunction with continued handover condition monitoring as this approach can provide sufficient time to permit a reasonable window of inquiry to detect a possible change for the better.
• this process 30 then effects usage 37 of the second wireless communication system (and termination of the first wireless communication system) to support the continuation of the wireless communication.
• this transmission can be made without interruption to the communication itself.
• the private branch exchange can cause such a handover by using the wide area network call as was initiated by the mobile station and transferring the present call to that wide area network call leg.
• the first wireless communication system leg can then be dropped by the private branch exchange, the mobile station, or both to complete the handover process.
• a mobile station engaged in a wireless communication 40 via a first system upon detecting a handover condition 41 of concern, can initiate a wide area telecommunications service telephone number call 42 and 43 via the second system to the private branch exchange.
• this communication alone or in conjunction with additional messaging (44 and 45) (again via the second system) serves to notify the private branch exchange of the need to handover a present communication 40 for mobile station from the first system being served by the private branch exchange to the second system.
• the private branch exchange responds by transferring the present call to that new leg 46.
• multi-mode mobile stations can achieve transparent multisystem support for wireless communications.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

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• 2004
  • 2004-04-26 US US10/832,017 patent/US7050805B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2005
  • 2005-03-10 WO PCT/US2005/007863 patent/WO2005109921A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-03-10 EP EP05725189A patent/EP1743494A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-03-10 CN CNB2005800099321A patent/CN100534207C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related

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